Foundation President and Chair of the Board

Devon is the Chief Marketing Officer for Nectar and an Investment Advisor for world-changing education, health, environmental and creative technologies. She has launched and scaled several innovative companies that are now global corporations, and led initiatives for Disney, Tesla Motors, IBM, Whole Foods, UBS, Audubon, Marvel Entertainment and others. For the past decade, she has been a faculty member and mentor with Alchemist, the top enterprise accelerator, fostering more than 300 early-stage companies with $4.1 Billion in funding. Devon holds an MBA with a focus on International Management, a Graduate degree in Social and Environmental Sustainability, a joint Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Technology and Design, and studied Innovation and Communications at Stanford. Devon is also a writer and serves on multiple boards, including Waterkeeper, which protects water quality and marine life biodiversity along California's Coast –where she loves to hike and trail run.





Vice Chair of the Board

Alisa Barnes has more than a decade of education and healthcare-related experience. She has served as a Nutritionist for underserved populations and as an Intervention Specialist for at-risk pregnant women, infants, and children. Alisa has been a dedicated parent of two biological children and one child adopted through foster care. She and her spouse have provided foster care to nine children. Alisa is passionately devoted to valuing diversity in our schools and enabling every child to maximize their talents and skills, including those with learning differences. Alisa holds a Masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the Medical University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences with a focus in Human Development from Cornell University.

Treasurer

Diego Reyes is the President and Investment Adviser for Stillwater Capital Management. Diego became a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch in Carmel, after serving as an intern and realizing his passion for financial services. Diego is fluent in Spanish and worked in the hospitality industry while pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from California State University Northridge. He also holds a Business and Managerial Economics Associate's Degree from Monterey Peninsula College where he was a Collegiate Men's Soccer Athlete. Diego serves as a Board Member and Vice Chair of Development for The Carmel Foundation. He is also a Board Member and Treasurer for Carmel Youth Center, which provides services and leadership to meet the emerging needs of young people and their families in our local community, where he and his spouse were born and raised.

Chair, Academic Innovation

Rosaleen Ryan Trambley is the Dean of Planning, Research, and Institutional Effectiveness at Monterey Peninsula College. She has more than two decades of experience in education leadership and also conducted Institutional Research and Analysis at MPC and Fordham University. Dr. Ryan Trambley holds a PhD in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelors degree in Psychology also from UCLA. She has served as President, Board member, and in other leadership roles for more than fourteen years with FOCUS, Friends of Carmel Unified Schools. She has served as a Board Member for The Research and Planning Group of California Community Colleges (The RP Group), and currently serves as a tri-chair for the RP Conference 2023. She has also served as a Board Member for The Triathlon Club of Monterey, Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Community Member of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP), Treasurer for the Carmel River School PTA and Campaign Co-Chair at United Way Monterey County.

Chair, Sustainability and Stewardship

Lisa Cosmas Hanson is the President of Niko Partners, a market intelligence and strategic consulting firm for the video game industry. She has more than 20 years of experience working throughout in Asia on digital entertainment. Lisa holds an MA in International Economic Policy from the American University's School of International Service in in Washington, D.C. and a BA in International Relations from UCLA. She serves on the board of Monterey Waterkeeper which protects and restores fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters along California's Central Coast for all to enjoy.

Chair, Holistic Health

Dr. Derrick J. Barnes, M.D. is a Robotic Surgeon and Physician affiliated with multiple hospitals in our area, including Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Previously, Dr. Barnes was Vice Chief of Staff for Sutter Lakeside Hospital and a Physician at Sutter Health, Novant Health and the Medical University of South Carolina. He was an Adjunct Professor at Wingate University and a Research Assistant at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Barnes is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a Board-certification physician distinguished by implementing the latest medical guidelines and techniques in women’s health care. He is fluent in Spanish and passionate about providing top quality care to patients, and enabling access to cutting-edge treatments and technologies, including to people from underserved areas. Dr. Barnes graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he served as President of the American Medical Student Association. Dr. Barnes earned a Bachelors Degree in Biology from Brown University, where he served as Public Service Chair. He was raised locally and was a Wide Receiver on the Football team in high school and college.

Chair, Wellbeing and Nutrition

Alyssa Dougherty is a Clinical Nutritionist (MS, CNS, LDN), who was raised in the Carmel area, and is passionate about advancing the critical role that evidence-based, personalized nutrition plays in optimizing health. In addition to her clinical work, which fuses science-backed nutrition therapy with mind-body practices, Alyssa has experience designing and leading corporate wellness programs for multinational companies and executive clients, drawing from her training as a Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Instructor. She holds a Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health from MUIH and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.

Chair, Fitness and Exercise

Jim Hamilton is the Program Director for Garcinox, where he is leading the launch of an innovative new product portfolio that uses robotics and AI to automate manufacturing of steel components for pharmaceutical clean rooms. Jim has nearly three decades of experience leading a variety of projects, including a Business Intelligence and Analytics platform and sustainability-focused construction. Jim has served as a board member for FOCUS for the past 11 years and as a Committee Member focused on Health and Wellness with the Carmel Unified School Board and Superintendent. Jim built a nonprofit, Carmel River Dads, for elementary school students, that provides positive male role models and engages school children through camping and other events. He is also a Founding Board Member of the The Triathlon Club of Monterey. Jim holds an MBA with a focus on Analytics & Marketing from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a BA in Environmental Studies and Policy from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Chair, Strategic Philanthropy

Sarah Digness is an educator, curriculum developer, and foundation project management specialist, with more than 15 years' experience in nonprofit management. She has worked with a variety of education, health, recreation, environmental conservation, and natural resource organizations. Sarah was Teacher of the Year at Paradise High School, where she led a district-wide senior project program, and also served as an advisor for first-generation, college-bound students. She is a credentialed secondary education teacher and received her bachelor's degree in English language and literature from CSU, Chico, with a minor in environmental studies. She has significant expertise in strategic philanthropy, grant processes, and collaboration with private foundations, government agencies, and corporations.